A computer program product, system, and computer implemented method comprises a multi-layered approach to virtual IP address assignment, where a managing computing node may control the generation of virtual IP addresses and assignment thereof to respective computing nodes, and where each respective computing node can control the allocation and binding of those virtual IP addresses to applications for the virtual IP addresses assigned to that computing node. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the approach includes a process to re-allocate virtual IP addresses to rebalance resources already allocated to a computing node and to address changing conditions.
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2. The method of claim 1, wherein network topology data corresponding to at least the plurality of computing nodes is maintained, and the network topology data is updated to reflect the binding of the virtual IP address to the application instance.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing node specific quality metrics data comprises at least one of a latency, a number of hops, and an error rate associated with different target IP addresses.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein a managing computing node previously generated the virtual IP address and assigned the virtual IP address to the first computing node.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein multiple computing nodes manage allocation of respective virtual IP addresses to respective application instances at respective ones of the plurality of computing nodes.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein allocating the virtual IP address to the application instance at the first computing node based on the computing node specific quality metrics data comprises at least ranking multiple virtual IP addresses assigned to the first computing node based on quality metrics data corresponding to target IP addresses to be communicated with using the virtual IP address and selecting a best ranking virtual IP address as the virtual IP address to be allocated to the application instance.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual IP address is re-allocated to a different application after a reallocation process is triggered.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the reallocation process allocates respective virtual IP addresses based on a combination of multiple rankings corresponding to multiple virtual IP address allocations at a respective computing node.
This invention relates to network resource management, specifically optimizing the allocation of virtual IP (Internet Protocol) addresses in distributed computing environments. The problem addressed is inefficient or suboptimal distribution of virtual IP addresses across computing nodes, which can lead to resource waste, performance bottlenecks, or scalability issues. The method involves reallocating virtual IP addresses among computing nodes based on a dynamic ranking system. Each computing node evaluates multiple factors to determine the optimal allocation of virtual IP addresses. These factors may include current workload, network latency, node capacity, or historical performance metrics. The reallocation process uses a combination of these rankings to assign virtual IP addresses in a way that balances load, minimizes latency, and maximizes resource utilization. The method ensures that virtual IP addresses are distributed according to real-time conditions, improving overall system efficiency. By continuously assessing and adjusting allocations, the system adapts to changing demands, preventing overloading of certain nodes while underutilizing others. This dynamic approach enhances scalability and reliability in large-scale computing environments.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein a high availability virtual IP daemon, a high availability metadata interface, and a high availability configuration file are maintained at two or more computing nodes that allocate respective virtual IP addresses, and the two or more computing nodes are within a same cluster.
11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein network topology data corresponding to at least the plurality of computing nodes is maintained, and the network topology data is updated to reflect the binding of the virtual IP address to the application instance.
12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the computing node specific quality metrics data comprises at least one of a latency, a number of hops, and an error rate associated with different target IP addresses.
13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein a managing computing node previously generated the virtual IP address and assigned the virtual IP address to the first computing node.
A system for managing virtual IP addresses in a distributed computing environment addresses the challenge of dynamically assigning and reassigning IP addresses to computing nodes to ensure seamless communication and load balancing. The system includes a managing computing node that generates a virtual IP address and assigns it to a first computing node. The virtual IP address is used to route network traffic to the first computing node, allowing for flexible resource allocation and failover handling. The managing computing node monitors the status of the first computing node and, if necessary, reassigns the virtual IP address to a second computing node to maintain service continuity. This approach enables efficient load distribution and high availability by decoupling the virtual IP address from the physical hardware, allowing for dynamic reconfiguration without disrupting ongoing network operations. The system ensures that network traffic is correctly routed to the active computing node, even if the underlying hardware changes, by dynamically updating routing tables or DNS records. This method improves scalability and reliability in distributed systems by abstracting the physical node identity from the network identity.
14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein multiple computing nodes manage allocation of respective virtual IP addresses to respective application instances at respective ones of the plurality of computing nodes.
15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein allocating the virtual IP address to the application instance at the first computing node based on the computing node specific quality metrics data comprises at least ranking multiple virtual IP addresses assigned to the first computing node based on quality metrics data corresponding to target IP addresses to be communicated with using the virtual IP address and selecting a best ranking virtual IP address as the virtual IP address to be allocated to the application instance.
16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the virtual IP address is re-allocated to a different application after a reallocation process is triggered.
17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the reallocation process allocates respective virtual IP addresses based on a combination of multiple rankings corresponding to multiple virtual IP address allocations at a respective computing node.
18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein a high availability virtual IP daemon, a high availability metadata interface, and a high availability configuration file are maintained at two or more computing nodes that allocate respective virtual IP addresses, and the two or more computing nodes are within a same cluster.
20. The computing system of claim 19, wherein network topology data corresponding to at least the plurality of computing nodes is maintained, and the network topology data is updated to reflect the binding of the virtual IP address to the application instance.
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March 9, 2021
October 25, 2022
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